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Leslie's Story Stroke Survivor My name is Leslie Houston, I am a stroke survivor. At the time my stroke happened I was on a 9 hour drive. I was going from Garden City, KS to Springfield, MO on my way to see John, a friend of mine. A week earlier we were going to move me to live with him. Halfway around El Dorado, KS, I got a really bad headache. I was about a mile away from El Dorado and have been on this road so many times I knew exactly where I was. This also took me 2 years to remember that I almost drove my car off the road. So I stopped at the park and took 3 aspirin and laid on the ground thinking as soon as the aspirin kicks in, I will hit the road. It was about 1 PM in the afternoon, Oct, 2, 2008. I couldn't do anything. I remember waving at a little girl. I spent the night in my car. The next morning I drove 5 hours. For 2 to 2 1/2 hours I had major visions. I believe the Lord drove me for awhile. There was one area where the only thing I could see is a hole showing the center of the road. Visions mellowed out by the time I got to busier roads. When I made it to John's, he was at work for a while and was mad at me. "Where have you been?" he asked. I said "I am sick, I am sick and I really have a bad head ache." He went and got me some medication and 1 1/2 hours later I told John, "somethings wrong." John took me to Cox Hospital in Springfield, MO. I was there for a week and they sent me to a Hospital in KS for 4 days and wanted to send me to Wy. I remember saying "no, I wanted to be with John." I am very lucky my mother taught me to get educated and I knew to exercise. I went back to Garden City, KS and told my Doc I need to go to school. I explained to my doctor that I had an extreme head ache for many months. I couldn't understand words or talk correctly. As I learned more about stroke victims I saw that we are all dealing with different affects of the condition. I can use my legs and hands while others have lost their ability to do so. Most people don't know I am a Stroke person. The size of the Stroke in my brain is, 7.5 + 3.6 + 2.5 cm. I am trying to get Doctors to send Stroke people right out the gate to school or speech classes. Please it is extremely important for people like me. I am now going to Ivinson Memorial Hospital, Speech Language Pathologist, Shelley Barton, M.S., CCC-SLP, I have been seeing her for over 2 years. Now I also see Shelly Coulter, M.S., CCC-SLP, 2 Shelley's. Anyway, Doctors please do this for people. Most of us can't talk, therefore, we are not acknowledged. Thank you for the time to read this, it is important. |
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